Manufacturing and commercial facilities are located along both sides of the
Mississippi-including in East Saint Louis, Illinois-and in recent decades have been
established along railroad and highway corridors in the western part of St. Louis County.

Large numbers of skyscrapers built since World War II in western suburbs such as
Clayton rival downtown St. Louis as office and business districts.

Universities: St. Louis University (1818), Washington
University (1853), the University of Missouri-St. Louis (1963), Webster University (1915),
Concordia Seminary (1839), Fontbonne College (1917),
Harris-Stowe State College (1857), and Maryville College (1872).

Between 1950 and 1990 (396,685) the number of inhabitants in St. Louis declined
by almost 54 percent. The metropolitan area grew by nearly 115 percent, and by 1990
(2,444,000).